Monday the Lenoir City School Board approved buying championship rings for the North Panther Middle School football team who recently came away with the title. 

Board member Bobby Johnson, Sr. got right to the point asking "how much" the rings were going to cost the board. Lenoir City Schools Director Wayne Miller said the rings would cost approximately $9,000 to $10,000. He added that price would provide 75 rings for players, coaches and managers. 

"Couldn't the county pay part of that?" Johnson asked with a laugh noting that the team has players from the city as well as the county through the team is funded through the Lenoir City Schools. "Tell the boys 'congratulations,'" Johnson added. 

Miller said he had received a gratifying number of phone calls from parents of players expressing appreciation  for the board's support of the football program for middle school students. He said hearing from the parents has been a "refreshing and rewarding experience." Miller also noted the middle school team should lead to better players at the high school level. 

The board also approved a trip for the Lenoir City High School Choir to New York City to perform at Medieval Times. The low bidder was East Tennessee Group Tours who bid $28,300 for the trip which includes the choir staying at Wyndham Gardens in New Jersey.

Miller told the board bids the renovations of the Lenoir City High School football stadium should be turned in by Monday and bids for the updates at Lenoir City Middle School should be "two to three" weeks later. He said both bids dates should keep both projects from being slowed down by the Christmas holidays.

Board member Rosemary Quillen asked what was being done about the lack of adequate light in the Lenoir City High School gym. Quillen said the board should "do whatever it takes to get adequate lighting" for the gym. 

"We know it's an issue," Miller said adding that an engineer is coming to the school to get to the bottom of the lighting problem.